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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

This past weekend was a blur of fun, food, friends, fair, and fine arts and crafts! And studying. I can’t forget studying, but that didn’t fit in my alliteration!

First of all, I had a checkup on my chest. Blair went with me and was so good. We were having a tea party in the waiting room when they called me back. My incision is healing nicely, and the reports all came back good! The doctor gave me what is apparently gold in a bottle to put on my scar to help it heal and protect it from the sun. When he did my surgery a month ago, we talked about farming and such, and he mentioned that he loved free range eggs. So I took him some this time. He really liked that. I don’t think it helped my account balance at all (that was really not my purpose, but see above about the gold in a bottle!), but maybe he’ll remember me if I ever need want fun plastic surgery!

Saturday was a full day! Nicole and I picked mom up and went to Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival. Mom and I had been there in the spring and the spoon man was not there! We were so disappointed, but he promised me he’d be there in the fall, so off we went!

Giant rocking chair!

Mom with her ice cream and fried apple pie!

I have blogged about my wooden spoons a few times now. I just love them. My favorite spoons are all from Sis & D’s, the folks who have the booth at Mossy Creek. Mr. Sis & D (Doug) was there this year with all of his beautifully handmade spoons.

There are many spoons he sells that he knows exactly where the wood came from. It’s neat to hear his stories – and to see his variety of spoons.

I love the yellow ones!

The whole time we were there, people were crowded around his booth making selections (it took me forever to pick out my spoons!), and I’m pretty sure that we made a few sales for him as people overheard us talking about our favorites! (And I’m not getting a thing for writing this!)

Mr. Sis & D says that his bestselling spoon is a straight edged cooking spoon – or what we call the meat spoon! It’s great for browning ground beef or sausage because you can chop with the straight edge, but then you can use the spoon part to serve it or stir the spaghetti or whatever!

The meat spoons.

I bought two slotted spoons, a regular spoon, and a small meat spoon. My meat spoon is really large, and I thought I would like a smaller one better. I just love the Osage Orange wood he used for the slotted spoon. The other slotted spoon is pecan. My meat spoon is oak and the regular one is plum! It’s really pretty too.

All of the spoons have the type of wood from which they’re made burned into the handle, along with a price code. There is a price code key on the booth table. The spoons vary in price by size, wood, etc.

This is the best part! I bought four spoons to give away! I just wanted to do a fun giveaway of something I like! This is no Pioneer Woman camera or mixer giveaway, but these spoons are nice! (Plus I’m not big time like PW!) It makes me smile every time someone tells me they read Across the Branch, and I want to say thanks!

For the giveaway, I bought a meat spoon, regular spoon, slotted spoon, and a scraper. These are the four spoons I use the most – along with my spatula, but those were a bit more expensive! I’m going to give two readers each two spoons. See below for how to enter the giveaway!

After leaving Mossy Creek we took a short break at mom’s and then went right on to the Georgia National Fair! Yay! I grew up going to the fair, so I look forward to it (and the food) every year. And Molly escorted us right into a livestock parking lot, so we got a great spot to park! (Thanks, Josh, for having pigs!) The first thing I did? Ate a gyro. Yum! And I ate a cinnamon roll. And a corn dog later. I was bad!

We saw the hypnotist show, which was hysterical as always. I could just about go every day to the fair to just watch that show! I also love to look at the photography entries. We walked around for a bit until the Miranda Lambert, Josh Kelly, Eric Church concert started at 7:30. It was pretty good. I was disappointed in that I couldn’t hear very well (as in bad acoustics or something), but it was fun regardless. On the way home, Nicole and I were both SO sleepy, so we sang to really loud old music all the way!

Be a blog follower of Across the Branch, and leave me another comment to tell me.

Post about my giveaway on your blog or facebook (or both, but only one entry please), and leave me another comment to tell me that too!

Each of the three ways to enter needs to have its own separate comment so they will be counted – and that’s a max of 3 per person! I will need an email address to contact you, so if it’s not associated with your blogger account, leave that for me too! The giveaway ends on October 31, 2010. I will announce the winner the following week!

I would totally dig the meat spoon. We're big time meat eaters over here, and I have a husband who always takes off with my wooden spoons... that and my metal tongs. We likely need "his and hers" of both! Ha!

Ash-- Those are so fun!!! I feel so sad that I missed the fair because those spoons look so fun! And let's be honest Sarah says I am a shop-a-holic so I would have way overbought EVERYTHING at the Fair! AND I have no idea which spoon I would want, but I'd love to explore once we finish school! :)

Wow...by the looks of things I'd say the meat spoon is the heavy favorite!! I'd love any of them. I don't have enough spoons for cooking and I hate using metal ones when I cook meat or stir fry veggies. Reese said he'd like any of them to bang on pots and pans! What a fun idea! Working on a blog post where I'll mention your giveaway!

I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE these spoons! I was amazed by the pictures of how many he makes! I will definitely have to go to Mossy Creek again next time. It's been YEARS since I've been.

I would love the meat spoon. Why? Well, I was just thinking the other day that I need something better to help me brown meat. I have a confession to make: I don't always buy the most expensive ground beef and face it, when you don't, it takes FOREVER to get it ground up...you know, so it won't look like worms - LOL! So you see, I need one :)

I am not sure what spoon is the one pictured on the left... but, that looks like a good spoon to grab for everything... for me a wooden spoon is just so much nicer and they look so nice in my crocks on the counter... I would love to add these ones to my collection...

How interesting! I have never heard of anyone making wooden spoons. My favorite is that meat spoon,but they all look wonderful. I also think it is neat how he puts the stamp of the price on each spoon. That is one clever salesman!!

I just found your blog from your post on Michele's blog, so came on over. You have a need blog and I did enjoy learning about the wooden spoons. They are all neat, especially the slotted one. I will have to become a follower.

I love that you love wooden spoons, mine are antiques from my grandma (and I'm 57 so you know how old they are) but I've never seen a meat spoon and would so love to have one. They seem like just about the most practical thing I can think of.

Ashlee I just love wood spoons , they are my " go to" spoon for everything I cook. I would probably use the meat spoon the most. I will definately be attending Mossy Creek Fest. next year just so I can look all the different spoons!!

Ashlee,I love to follow your blog! You always write about the most interesting subjects and I could look at your lovely pictures of Blair all day long, so cute! As for the spoons, I love them all! If you could see my "kitchen utensils" you would just downright laugh! And I am SO excited about your fist give-a-way, that I'm heading to Facebook now to post all about it!!

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Child of God, wife of a farmer, mom to a miracle, RN; picture taker, animal lover, Spanish speaker, world traveler, former high school teacher. I love food, knitting, blogging, and living in a small town. I write about a little of all of the above!

Brad is my husband of 6 years and the reason I live across the branch. From a very young age he knew he'd be a farmer. God gave him the love and the talent -- and he's the best looking and the best dressed farmer I know! He's funny, creative, and he's the most wonderful husband and father. He's the one that can make Blair light up like no other.

Blair is four! We are so blessed to have her. She was born very sick, but God gave her strength and brought her through it. She has hearing loss called Auditory Neuropathy and wears hearing aids. She also has chronic lung disease, but you wouldn't know by seeing her! She is the busiest, funniest little thing who keeps us laughing and on our toes. I thank God for her every day.

Leighton is the happy roly poly who joined our family this summer. He has been a joy and is as sweet as his big sister! He's such a blessing, and we're so thankful for him!